International superstar and martial arts stuntman Jackie Chan has produced a new blockbuster movie with director Renny Harlin, released on July 21. “Skiptrace” is a Hong Kong-Chinese-American action comedy film bringing together famed Chinese stars Fan Bingbing and Eric Tsang, as well as American TV actor Johnny Knoxville, who is best known for his MTV stunt show “Jackass.”Chan plays Bennie Chan, a detective from Hong Kong who teams up with Connor Watts (Knoxville), a fast-talking American gambler. Together, they track and battle against a notorious crime boss.“Skiptrace” marks the realization of Chan’s lifelong dream, and was originally due for launch in December last year. Initially inspired by “Karate Kid” (2010), the movie has been on Chan’s mind for 25 years. “I have always dreamt of a runway and chase story to show both the Chinese landscape and culture along the roadside to the world,” said Jackie Chan in a statement.The film takes a refreshing and authentic stance by being shot throughout China and Hong Kong, taking the public on a journey across Guangxi and Guizhou Provinces, Hong Kong, the gambling city of Macau, and the impressive mountains of Mongolia. Harlin has described the movie as a “travelogue of sorts,” offering Western audiences a lens to view the richness of China and dispel stereotypes of the country.In “Skiptrace,” Jackie Chan proves once again that he is one of the current physical comedy greats, going further to perfect every stunt for each fight scene. According to a press release, the actor faced a near-death experience while shooting in Guangxi, China, when he fell out of his raft against a forceful torrent.Over the last four decades, Chan has mastered the art of combining action and comedy. BLOUIN ARTINFO spotlights Jackie Chan’s most exemplary stunt scenes that pack a punch full of humor. Don’t try these at home.1. “Police Story” (1985)The mall fight scene in “Police Story” is one of the most intense and noteworthy fights choreographed by Jackie Chan. There’s broken glass and epic falls as the actor fights off criminals one at a time. The scene becomes an entertaining watch as the actor uses his environment and smashes everything around him, thus showing off his martial arts skills. The film also opens with an action-packed sequence, with Chan hanging from a bus holding on to nothing but an umbrella.2. “Project A” (1983)The popularity of Chan’s movies are in part due to the actor being a perfectionist. He recreates a stunt multiple times to make it look as credible as possible. In “Project A,” an astonishing scene involves our protagonist hanging from a clock tower and then falling off it with only a couple of flimsy canopies to break his fall.3. “Who Am I” (1998)Jackie Chan plays a secret agent who loses his memory after a helicopter crash, and is clueless as to why agents pursue him throughout the movie. A fun action film, it features an impressive rooftop battle, which precedes a spectacular vertiginous stunt as Chan slides down the Willemswelf building in Rotterdam. While the scene may be nerve-racking, the actor still manages to insert an action-based joke as he unsuccessfully attempts to punch his way through the building’s glass wall.4. “Drunken Master II” (1994)A sequel to “Drunken Master” (1978), this was Chan’s first traditional martial arts movie since “The Young Master” in 1980 and “Dragon Lord” in 1981. A rather drunk Jackie Chan fights with Ken Lo in a long and fast-paced choreographed battle. In this scene, the camera remains mostly steady, capturing every action, hit, and reaction, rendering a powerful effect overall — a technique that Chan favors.5. “The Accidental Spy” (2001)What makes Chan’s battles so exceptional is the way he always begins his fights weaker than his opponents. He starts off as the underdog and punches his way up to conquer his adversary. To make the battles more interesting, he gives himself a disadvantage by either being handcuffed or having a bomb in his mouth, like in the “Rush Hour” movies. In “The Accidental Spy,” Chan is stark naked and attacked by several opponents. He thus juggles with multiple plates to fight off his attackers and to, naturally, cover himself up.6. “Rush Hour” (1998)Chan has to be creative when starting at the bottom, which is one of the most famous aspects of his style. He uses his environment to his advantage, employing anything to fight off his opponents. In “Rush Hour,” Chan gets into a discussion in a pool bar that escalates into a fight, in which he expertly uses only cue sticks throughout the duration of the five-minute combat scene.7. “Dragons Forever” (1988)The ending scene of this movie offers a grand showdown, which involves two men — Jackie Chan and kickboxing legend Benny “The Jet” Urquidez. As in all of Chan fights, which have a distinct musical rhythm, this battle has sharp, fast, and precise choreographed moves. Each action is well-timed and beautifully executed within its environment.8. “Drunken Master” (1978)“Drunken Master” features another wild stunt by Chan in a gripping scene in which the actor is pushed backwards onto a bed of hot coals during a fight. Naturally, to escape the piping heat of the coals is to painstakingly crawl backwards with his bare hands, before jumping into another fight.9. “Wheels on Meals” (1984)“Wheels on Meals” features the famous trio Chan, Hung and Biao, who are the main characters. Towards the end of the movie, Chan once again fights Benny Urquidez in a captivating sequence. Contrary to Western action movies where heroes appear invincible and reveal no weakness, Chan always shows signs of pain. This humanizes the battle and renders the overall scene as authentic. In this particular fight scene, the viewer witnesses every punch at every angle, enhancing the intensity of each strike.10. “Police Story,” last scene“Policy Story” truly illustrated Chan’s ability to orchestrate outstanding stunts, remaining one of the greatest action movies of the 1980s. The final scene of the film verifies how Hong Kong filmmakers produce the crème de la crème of action comedies; Chan’s style often involves a celebratory stunt at the end of the movie. In “Police Story,” he slides down a pole while exploding a chain of lights.
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